1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to conveyor systems and, more particularly, to a gravity auxiliary conveyor for transporting containers, particularly industrial totes and boxes, to a workstation.
2. Technical Considerations
An ongoing need in industrial applications which utilize a limited production space production line is to provide an efficient and inexpensive way of delivering parts to the production process. Production lines, as for example in the automobile industry, require a large number of individual parts to be delivered to a workstation at the line for incorporation into the product being manufactured. Automated over/under line feed systems have been developed to maximize assembly line parts handling efficiency. These automated over/under line feed systems provide an uninterrupted flow of parts carried in containers or racks. The individual workers at the workstation take parts from the delivery container of rack and install them in the work product in progress, as for example, a car. An example of a conventional line feed system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,999.
In many production lines, it is not unusual for the work product to undergo several design changes or modifications during the product""s commercial lifetime. In which cases, it is necessary to provide the production line worker with different or new components or a different number of components for which the original over/under line feed system may not have been designed or dimensioned to accommodate. Often, these new components take the form of small pats which, if not able to be delivered via the original over/under line feed system, are typically delivered to the worker in separate pallets or boxes that are left at the workstation. Thus, during the production process, the worker must not only select pans delivered through the original line feed system but must also select additional parts from the pallets delivered to the workstation. This practice tends to clutter the workstation. Additionally, requiring the worker to pick parts out of the pallets on the floor is tiring and not ergonomically desirable. Replacing the over/under line feed system with a new system designed to accommodate the new parts is not typically an option due to the high cost of such systems. And, even if a new system was installed, there is no guarantee that the work product will not undergo additional modifications or changes requiring further design changes to the line feed system.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a conveyor system and method of delivering parts to a production line workstation which reduce or eliminate at least some of the drawbacks discussed above.